The present invention relates to water faucets and, in particular, to a quick-disconnect faucet including a number of alternative resilient, spring-biased retainers adapted to a faucet base to self-attach the faucet to a plumbing fixture such as a sink.
If one believes the installation instructions that come with most water faucets, the installation of the faucets for kitchen and bath sinks can be a relatively simple task. In practice, however, the theory is complicated by the cramped and limited workspace that is available to the plumber and home-handymen. The water supply lines, sink and kitchen or bath cabinet walls hamper access. The necessity to work on one""s back and without adequate light in the available space adjacent the sink bottom exacerbates the difficulties. Some special tools are available to assist the installer with necessary fasteners, but frequently, it is still necessary to blindly manipulate the tools from inconvenient body positions.
Many conventional faucets provide threaded supply lines that contain oversized washers and nuts. The faucet is secured to the sink by drawing the nuts tight to the sink bottom, which draws the faucet into compression with the sink top and any sealing mechanism placed between the faucet and sink top. Some faucets provide threaded stems that cooperate with flanged wings that grip the sink bottom.
A variety of faucet assemblies with quick-disconnect retainers have also been developed to facilitate faucet repair and replacement. Some of faucets including fastener assemblies adapted to threaded members are shown at U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,085,784; 5,946,746; 5,465,749; and 4,281,857. U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,277 discloses a hydraulically controlled clamp. U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,761 discloses a spring-biased fastener having a xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d clip retainer, but which requires special tooling to unload the spring to remove the clip and faucet. U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,882 discloses another spring-biased fastener that provides initial faucet retention, but depends on a threaded fastener to compress the fastener and draw the faucet tight to the sink.
The present invention was developed to provide a spring-biased faucet retainer that during installation resiliently self-grips the lower surface of a sink without operator intervention and draws the faucet to engage the sink. During faucet removal, the retainer can be manually manipulated to release spring-biased gripping members without special tooling. The retainer includes members that can be manually gripped and compressed, without having to view the retainer, to release the faucet for repair or replacement. The members are normally biased to an expanded condition and flex during mounting to secure the faucet once positioned on the sink. One retainer assembly provides axially directed latch and retractor pieces that are captured and biased relative to a housing and are operative to direct gripping surfaces to grip the sink. Another retainer assembly provides hinged gripper pieces having contoured gripping surfaces that are spring biased relative to each other and that pivot at a supporting housing. Another retainer assembly provides resilient, deformable leaf spring arms having contoured gripping surfaces.
It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a resilient, spring-biased faucet retainer system that self-mounts and releases the faucet from a sink without tools.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a spring-biased retainer that is adaptable to a faucet base and is normally biased to self-expand and secure the faucet to the sink as the retainer is extended through mounting apertures.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a spring-biased retainer that is adaptable to a faucet base and can be manipulated in cramped spaces by hand to release the faucet from a sink.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a retainer having at least one spring biased gripper piece and means to overcome a normal condition and direct gripping surfaces to either release or induce gripping.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a retainer having a housing containing one gripping surface and bound spring biased gripper and retractor pieces with tapered surfaces that cooperate with axial movement to extend and retract another gripping surface at the gripper member.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a retainer having a housing that contains one or more hinged gripper members having contoured gripping surfaces that are spring-biased relative to each other to rotate and project from the housing.
It is a further object of the invention to provide posts having tapered surfaces that extend from a faucet base and cooperate with at least one spring biased retainer at each faucet to optimize gripping and prevent rotational movement of the faucet, once mounted.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a deformable resilient retainer with at least one arm that compresses and flexes to direct a contoured gripper surface relative to a sink.
The foregoing objects, advantages and distinctions of the invention, among others, are obtained in several spring-biased retainer assemblies shown in association to a typical faucet. The base of each faucet is modified to include at least one spring-biased retainer that aligns with a mounting aperture at a support (e.g. a sink). The retainer self-compresses during insertion to facilitate faucet mounting. Once inserted, at least one spring biased member expands to a latched condition to secure the faucet to the sink. Faucet release is achieved by manually compressing the resiliently biased retainer piece(s) and raising the faucet.
One disclosed retainer includes a housing that is secured to the faucet base and has a first gripping surface that grips an edge of a through hole in the sink. Gripper and retractor pieces having overlapping inclined slide surfaces cooperate with an inclined housing surface and are biased for reciprocating movement to direct a contoured gripping surface at the gripper piece to engage the sink, such that the faucet is drawn into compression with the sink. Springs fitted to the gripper and retractor pieces abut the housing and cooperate with the inclined housing surface to maintain compression. A retainer pin secures the retractor piece to the housing and a catch arm extends from the retractor piece to engage the gripper piece and effect release.
Posts having tapered surfaces can optionally be mounted to project from the faucet base and cooperate with one or more gripping surfaces at the spring-biased retainers. The posts can be secured to the faucet with threads, deformable rivet-like surfaces, an adhesive or a variety of other fasteners.
Another disclosed retainer includes a pair of gripper pieces that are biased to pivot from a housing in repelling relation. Each gripper has a gripping surface that is contoured (e.g. tapered, arcuate, elliptic and/or with lateral flaring) to promote faucet compression and prevent faucet movement. The gripper pieces are recessed and retained with hinge pins to the housing at pivot sockets. The sockets define rotation limits.
Another resilient retainer provides at least one deformable, resilient leaf spring arm that is biased in repulsion to another arm. The deformable retainer arm has a contoured gripping surface that draws the faucet into engagement with the sink and prevents faucet movement.
A variety of modifications and improvements are also disclosed that can be adapted to the present retainers and faucets outfitted with the retainers and/or posts.
Still other objects, advantages, distinctions and constructions of the invention will become more apparent from the following description with respect to the appended drawings. Similar components and assemblies are referred to in the various drawings with similar alphanumeric reference characters. Various features of the invention may also be configured with other features in different combinations. The description should therefore not be literally construed in limitation of the invention. Rather, the invention should be interpreted within the broad scope of the further appended claims.